On this day (November 28) in 1970, Bob Dylan was atop the UK Albums Chart with New Morning. The album was incredibly popular with longtime fans who were happy to hear Dylan go back to his unique vocal style. Additionally, the LP’s sole single, “If Not For You,” became a No. 1 hit for Olivia Newton-John the next year.
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Even those who aren’t fans of Dylan will likely recognize his unique, nasal singing voice. So, many fans were surprised and disappointed when they picked up Nashville Skyline and heard him doing his best to sound like a country crooner. His next album, Self Portrait, gave fans more of the same. Then, he released New Morning, which marked the return of his unique vocal delivery.
New Morning was an international hit. It reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, his final chart-topper there for nearly 40 years. It was also a top 10 hit in the United States, Australia, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden.
Bob Dylan Penned an Olivia Newton-John Hit
New Morning opens with “If Not for You,” which also served as the album’s only single. It wasn’t a hit for Bob Dylan. It failed to chart everywhere except for the Netherlands, where it peaked at No. 30. However, the lack of chart success didn’t stop a pair of high-profile artists from covering it.
“If Not for You” is a simple but sweet love song, written by Dylan for his wife, Sara. The lyrics reflect his happiness at having settled down. In it, he’s more direct than usual, explicitly stating how much she means to him. The lyrics apparently spoke to George Harrison and Olivia Newton-John.
Harrison recorded it for All Things Must Pass, his first post-Beatles album, but didn’t release it as a single. Interestingly, Harrison played guitar on the version of the song featured on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased). Country star Charlie Daniels played bass on that cut.
Newton-John recorded her version of the song for her 1971 album of the same name and released it as her first international single. It peaked at No. 25 on the Hot 100 and reached No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart. It also went to No. 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, where it spent three weeks.
Featured Image by Val Wilmer/Redferns
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